Blend all ingredients together (*batter should resemble pancake batter). If batter is too runny, add in a bit more coconut flour. Heat a large non-stick fry pan on medium heat and add oil/butter. Ladle batter into pan so that the pancake is roughly the size of a teacup saucer. Cook for +/- 2 minutes on one side (or until lightly golden) and flip. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Makes 2-4 small pancakes. Serve warm with toppings of choice.
While the holidays are usually a time for joy and cheer, for some of us they can be a time of heightened stress and anxiety as we face unhealthy temptations during holiday meals.
That’s why, in this week’s blog, we want to share our top tips for recognizing and coping with the food-related anxiety during the holidays. It’s time to ditch that food guilt and have a wholesome, happy Christmas without letting diet-obsessions get in the way!
What is mindful eating?
Mindful and intuitive eating is about developing an awareness of your relationship with food. This approach has nothing to do with diets, meal plans, discipline or willpower. Instead, it is about developing a more conscious, healthier and balanced response to food, and teaching yourself how to get in touch with your body’s cues like hunger, fullness and satisfaction.
Tips for mindful eating during the holidays
The holidays can feel like a minefield for many of us, with large family meals presenting many delicious temptations. Food equals comfort and togetherness for many families but research shows that one-third of holiday stress is due to fears of overindulgence and food-based anxiety.
So, for those struggling with stress and guilt about food this festive season, here are some tips for enjoying holiday gatherings without derailing your health and wellness goals.
1.Eat more healthy, hearty foods
The fear and guilt associated with breaking a restrictive diet or eating foods we’d normally avoid during the year can prevent many of us from really enjoying a meal with our family. The key to coping with food anxiety during the holidays is to reject this diet mentality and encourage yourself to focus on healthy, balanced eating rather than restricting yourself during this time.
Remember, it’s okay to enjoy a mince pie and some delicious Christmas pudding, but it’s equally important to stack your plate full of veggies and greens.
Eating plenty of whole fruits, vegetables, and grains along with Christmas treats can help curb cravings and prevent you from overeating. These “high volume foods” also tend to leave you with an increased feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction after a meal.
2. Savour what you’re eating
While it may be tempting to wolf down three servings of turkey in one sitting, it’s important to take a moment and really appreciate what is on your plate. Try to employ all your senses while you’re eating your food, and eat slowly to really take-in the flavour. Eating slowly increases the levels of hormones responsible for feeling full, which may help reduce calorie intake and encourage you to eat more mindfully and intuitively. Chewing slowly can also encourage better digestion and leave you feeling more satisfied after a meal.
3. Don’t channel your stress into eating
Even under normal circumstances, tensions can run high at holiday gatherings – and that was before a global pandemic was thrown into the mix.
It’s important not to channel the stress from this kind of large family gathering into eating. While it may be tempting to take this as an opportunity to self-sabotage and rely on emotional eating to cope with your feelings, try to develop healthier ways to deal with emotional triggers during this time instead.
People tend to panic if they move away from a more restrictive diet and stop calorie-counting. While breaking a diet or strict eating plan can be a source of anxiety for many people, the holidays are a time to say goodbye to this guilt and start listening to your body instead.
Your focus should always be to listen to our body’s hunger and fullness cues – with the goal of eating until you’re comfortable, full and satisfied in mind. A good idea is to try and focus on the difference between true hunger cues that encourage you to continue eating and non-hunger triggers for eating (such as tase, emotional stress or habitual eating) which could cause you to over-eat even when you’re already feeling full.
This is the perfect example of mindful eating. Instead of overindulging, try to observe how the food makes you feel and the signals your body sends about taste, satisfaction, and fullness.
5. Bring something of your own to share.
The fear and guilt associated with unhealthy eating can prevent many of us from really enjoying a meal with our family. So, why not bring along some of your own healthy but delicious treats like these chicken and bulgar wheat salad or these delicious raw chocolate brownies instead.
This is a great way to have better control over your food choices at this kind of social event, and you can guarantee that there will always be something on the table that works for you.
Enjoy the holidays with WellBe
Here at WellBe&Co, we believe in easy-to-implement, lifestyle-focussed health and wellness habits. The key to living a healthy, balanced life starts with good nutrition – which is why we want to share all our top nutritious and delicious recipes with you this holiday season.
Why not try some ofthese tasty recipesthis Christmas day and enjoy some healthy, hearty food while still indulging in a treat or two. And, if the stress of the holidays is getting to be a bit too much to handle, check out our simple guide to mastering mediation and developing better emotional awareness during this time.
Want to learn more? Check out our Instagram page or contact one of our friendly WellBe team members for more information today.
This berry-blaster smoothie is packed with brain boosting benefits. Loaded with antioxidants, this smoothie serves as the perfect start to your day.
INGREDIENTS
1 small ripe banana
140g berry combo – blackberries, blueberries,
raspberries or strawberries. Or choose your berries of choice. Leave some extra to serve.
Apple juice or cold water. You decide.
METHOD
Slice the banana into your blender or food processor and add the berries of your choice. Whizz until smooth. With the blades going, pour in juice or water to get to the consistency you prefer. Toss in a few extra berries on top and enjoy. Pro tip – freeze your banana in slice beforehand for a thicker, colder smoothie.
Between trying to balance a busy home life with the never-ending demands of the world of work, it can be hard to find time in the day to take care of your own mental health and well-being.
That’s why, in this week’s blog, we go over our top tips for embracing self-awareness through regular meditation and developing better emotional wellness by taking time to practice mindfulness every day.
We also give you a go over a quick and simple, five-minute meditation session that is perfect for stress relief where you’re short on time.
What is meditation?
Meditation is the habitual practice of training your mind to build better focus, redirect your thoughts and improve your own emotional awareness. This ancient wellness practise focuses on training awareness, attention, and compassion while trying to achieve a state of mental clarity and emotional calmness.
What most people don’t know is that there are actually many different styles of meditation, and each practice requires a different skillset and mindset. The two major styles of mediations include:
Focused-attention meditation:
This style of meditation aims to focus your attention on a single thought, object or visualization in order to clear your mind of any disturbances or distractions. This could involve repeating a particular mantra or focusing on a specific breathing pattern.
Open-monitoring meditation:
This type of meditation is all about broadening your awareness as a whole while taking in every aspect of your environment. The idea is to become more aware of the thoughts, feelings and sensations around you which you may usually try to suppress or skip over in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
The benefits of meditation
Meditation is something everyone can do to improve their mental and emotional health, and the practice has been successfully used for many years to help people increase awareness of both their inner selves and their surroundings.
Individuals who are able to effectively enter a meditative stage are able to use this practice to develop a more outlook on life, elevate their mood and improve their self-discipline – but research shows that the benefits of meditation extend past just basic self-awareness and a better sense of clarity.
Here are just a few of the ways in which developing a daily meditation routine will benefit you:
It will reduce your stress and anxiety
It will calm your nervous system (since meditation has been proven to be a very effective way to bring your brain waves into a deeply calm and relaxed state)
It will promote better emotional health and self-awareness
It will improve your attention span and concentration
It will help reduce any memory loss
According to some research, it will help you manage symptoms of all kinds of conditions such as asthma, chronic pain, depression, high blood pressure, sleep problems and tension headaches.
Meditation basics
How to manage your breathing
Most people think that there must be a certain technique to breathing right when it comes to meditation but, in actual fact, most meditation experts recommend that you allow your body to breathe naturally. After all, the whole point of mindfulness and meditation is to cultivate awareness and find a sense of peace.
That being said, there are a few tips and tricks that will help you hone your focus and really immerse yourself in that meditative stage. Experts recommend that you take several deep breaths before you start, as well as to focus on breathing in through your nose and breathing out through your mouth until you find a comfortable rhythm.
Keeping a clear head
It’s completely normal to feel your mind wondering when you first start your meditation journey. The important thing to remember is that it will always take a bit of time to get comfortable with being alone with your thoughts when you first get started, and there’s no rush to achieve a certain level of clarity and stillness immediately.
The reality is that meditation is not about stopping your thoughts completely. Instead, it’s about learning how to observe your thinking while managing feelings of restlessness and anxiety in order to find some stillness in the moment.
Remember, there might be some setbacks along the way, but it’s important to recognize that this is just a part of your meditation journey.
A quick 5-minute meditation routine for stress relief
Gaining a new perspective when it comes to stressful situations can be as simple as dedicating just five minutes a day to sitting down and taking some time to improve your mindfulness through meditation.
The great thing about meditation is that it really can be done anywhere, and it doesn’t require any specialized equipment or space.
How to get started:
Find a place on the floor or at your desk chair to sit upright in a relaxed, comfortable position.
Take time to notice how you’re feeling and acknowledge any emotions or sensations that you may be experiencing at the time.
Actively relax your body and feel the weight of it sink into the floor or your chair.
Take a second to notice your own breathing pattern and slowly breathe deeply in and out through your nose and mouth until you are comfortable.
Now, take five minutes to sit in stillness and reflect. Remember to be kind to your wandering mind as you take on this new practice.
While five minutes can feel like a short amount of time, taking a moment to separate yourself from the constant busyness and distraction of the world we live in today can dramatically improve your ability to cope with stress, increase your focus and improve your productivity — as well as enable you to be more fully present during the rest of your activities throughout the day.
Some other handy tips:
If your work or home environment has too many distractions to allow for a peaceful, quiet surrounding, consider participating in a group meditation class over the weekend. This can improve your chance of successfully mastering meditation as you’ll have the guidance of a seasoned instructor to assist you during your learning journey, as well as the additional support of an entirely new community.
Alternatively, consider setting your alarm a few minutes early to take advantage of some quiet time in the morning. This may help you develop a more consistent habit and allow you to set the tone for the day so that you can tackle every task further with a more positive attitude.
Holistic, healthy living with WellBe
This November, we’re zoning-in on the theme of focus, mental wellness and mindfulness.
That’s why we’ve developed our two new 12-week nutrition and training guides to help you live every day with a clear intention to get closer to achieving your goals and living a life that is centred around healing, health and happiness.
Our easy-to-implement, lifestyle-focused nutrition, training and health solutions are fun, simple and the perfect way to improve your mental focus and renew your motivation for the week ahead with a variety of healthy, balanced meal plans and killer workout routines.
Want to know more? Check out our Instagram page or contact one of our friendly WellBe team members for more information today.
Let’s face it, it’s been almost 8 months of COVID-19 restrictions and we’re all feeling a little burnt-out by now. Although the country has moved down to lockdown level one, the threat of COVID-19 is still very real and most of us are still working, studying and going about most of our daily activities from home while we try to adhere to social-distancing guidelines.
It’s easy to feel your energy levels drop when you’re stuck in the same routine every day, and it’s fair to say that the ongoing anxiety surrounding COVID-19 has taken its toll on our mental health, energy levels and all-around motivation.
That’s why in this week’s blog we go over our top 5 tips for renewing your mental energy, boosting your motivation and bringing more balance into your life every day.
How to regain focus and re-ignite your energy
1. Get some more sunlight
It’s easy to slip into the lockdown slump when you’re eating, sleeping, working, and relaxing inside the house every day. During lockdown a lot of people have slipped into ‘hibernation mode’, and aside from the rare bit of exercise or the occasional walk in the park, it’s safe to say that we’ve all become house hermits during these last few months.
Getting out of the house and enjoying the beauty of a bright sunny day is not only a great way to boost your mood, but it’s also an important part of helping your body to produce its much-needed vitamin D – an extremely essential vitamin that has powerful effects on several systems throughout your body.
Vitamin D is a vital part of maintaining a strong immune system, keeping feelings of fatigue at bay and helping you maintain higher energy levels and better focus throughout the day.
2. Practice mindfulness
When it comes to renewing your motivation and getting ready to face the week ahead, there’s no better mood-booster than putting mindful habits into practice.
Whether it’s setting aside some time to sit quietly and enjoy the stillness of the morning or coming home for a long day of work to some yoga or journaling, any part of the day that you can dedicate to self-reflection and stillness is an essential part of maintaining a more balanced life. Meditation, journaling and other mindful-based techniques have been shown to significantly lower stress and restore emotional balance.
Remember, the key to forming healthy, mindful habits is to give yourself the freedom to pick and choose which methods work best for you. Some days completing an entire yoga routine and mediation session might just seem like too big of a feat. On days like that, it’s okay to come home from a long day of work and simply do 10 minutes of calming breathing exercises to re-centre your focus and renew your energy.
The bottom line is that mindfulness is a moment-by-moment awareness of your thoughts, your feelings and the current sensations surrounding you. The idea is to allow these thoughts and feelings to come and go, without judgement or feeling the need to do anything with them.
3. Fuel your body with healthy foods
Maintaining focus and concentration throughout your day is imperative to improving your productivity, but most of us tend to forget that food is a major contributor to how we feel throughout the day. If you don’t fuel your brain with the proper nutrients, the chances are that you’ll start to feel a range of symptoms that reflect this deficiency – such as memory problems, fatigue and concentration problems.
From starting the day with a healthy, filling breakfast to pre-prepping hearty meals for the day ahead, eating well can set the tone for your week. Eating well has been shown to improve short-term memory and attention, as well as improve all-around brain function and focus. Studies even show that students who eat brains-fueling foods such as high-fiber whole grains, vegetables and fruits tend to perform better than those who don’t.
4. Increase motivation by giving yourself a break
It’s been a long year and, sometimes, the only way to rally a bit more motivation for the tasks ahead is to step back and take your foot off the pedal for a while.
Studies show that taking regular breaks from both work responsibilities and personal responsibilities can actually boost your motivation, increase your energy levels and improve your focus in the long run.
At first, you may feel a slight sense of anxiety as you struggle to keep your mind off every task that still needs to be completed, but it’s important to force yourself to detach from work and focus on relaxing in that moment.
During the week, this could be as easy as stepping away from your work for 15 minutes and refreshing yourself with a cool drink or nutritious snack, or taking a quick walk outside to get some sunlight. Even just giving yourself a few minutes to detach and listen to some music can drastically improve your motivation and your mood.
When you return to work, you’ll be surprised at how much more focused, motivated, or even creative you feel.
5. Talk to family and friend about your lockdown slump
If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, unfocused and uninspired, the chances are that you’re not the only one in your inner circle of close family and friends who is feeling this way.
Symptoms of fatigue, frustration, energy loss and lack of motivation during this time are common, and sometimes it helps to share those feelings with another person who might be experiencing something similar.
Getting support can be as simple as having a weekly zoom call with a close friend or family member to check in and discuss your highs and lows of the week.
Remember, it’s important to find a method of communication that feels right for you. This might be a face-to-face conversation over zoom or, or you might find it easier to talk on the phone or write down how you feel in a letter.
Getting motivated with WellBe
Here at WellBe we want to give you the right tools to strengthen your mind and your body. That’s why we’ve developed our two new 12 week nutrition and training guides to help you live every day with a clear intention to get closer to achieving your goals and living a more happy, motivated life.
Our easy-to-implement, lifestyle-focussed nutrition, training and health solutions are fun, simple and the perfect way to improve your focus and renew your motivation for the week ahead with a variety of healthy, balanced meal plans and killer workout routines.Want to know more? Check out our Instagram page or contact one of our friendly WellBe team members for more information today.
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 Tbsp warm water
2 cups whole rolled oats
½ cup slivered almonds
⅔ cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup brown/coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder & cinnamon
¾ tsp sea salt
¾ cup almond milk
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
3 Tbsp melted coconut oil or butter (if not vegan)
1 banana, chopped
1 cup strawberries, sliced
½ cup blueberries
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C and spray an 8×8-inch (or similar) baking dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine flaxseed and warm water and set aside to thicken (about 5 mins). Reserve 2 Tbsp of almonds and coconut flakes and set aside. In a large bowl combine the oats, the remaining almonds, hemp seeds and coconut flakes, and the baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and salt In a medium bowl, combine the almond milk, maple syrup and coconut oil and whisk to combine. Stir in the flaxseed mixture and blend until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir to combine. Layer the bananas and strawberries in the baking dish and spread the oat mixture on top. Sprinkle with the blueberries and the reserved almonds, hemp seeds and coconut flakes. Bake for 40-50 mins or until the top is crisp and the middle is set. I find it easiest to wedge a knife in and make sure the middle has thickened nicely. Remove and let cool for 15 mins before serving.
I am a holistic health and fitness coach with a heart full of passion to help people create a beautifully balanced lifestyle that is sustainable and realistic. Since I was a little girl I always had a lot of energy. You would always see me jumping around and moving around. I never wanted to sit still and I would get bored super easily – sorry parents LOL!
I found myself naturally leaning into sports, specifically running. I loved the challenge of it and I love how it made me feel – unstoppable, strong and free. As I got older, I got very good at running in High School and then I naturally started going to gym and discovering new ways to challenge myself. After studying a BCOM at University, I realized very quickly that I’m not cut out for the corporate environment so I went ahead and studied a Personal Training Certificate and Group Instructing Certificate at FitPro. I then decided I wanted to further my knowledge, so I got a health coaching certificate through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition which qualifies me to guide my clients to create a holistically healthier life – from exercise and nutrition to relationships, career, and spirituality.
With a couple years of experience working as a Health and Fitness coach – I couldn’t be happier with the path I chose to help people create and live the lives they deserve.
Let’s talk about you!
Anyways, enough about me! Let’s talk about you. How are you doing right now? Are you constantly hopping on and off diet and exercise plans? Are you restarting every Monday after binging on the weekend because you were too restrictive during the week? Are you feeling like you can’t stick to anything and you can’t seem to find balance?
Listen, I TOTALLY feel you. We’ve all been there. All of a sudden becoming too restrictive and too hectic can cause you to resent the whole process and journey of health and fitness. Yes, if you have goals you want to reach you do have to make certain sacrifices but if you are trying to create and maintain a sustainable healthy lifestyle, becoming overly restrictive will make you hate the process and turn back to your old habits.
The goal is NOT to feel like you need to consistently restrict yourself or start again every Monday. The goal is to create a lifestyle where you have balance. Where you feel good about yourself all of the time! Trust me, I know it’s easier said than done but what I do know is it is 100% possible. Starting small, celebrating yourself along the way and keeping it simple is a fab place to start!
The health hacks you’re after
Let’s dive into it! Here are a few tips to get you to start building a healthy balanced lifestyle for yourself:
1. Start small
Don’t go from zero to hero, it never works! Being super restrictive isn’t sustainable over a long period of time. Focus on creating small changes or small healthy habits that will become the building blocks to an overall balanced lifestyle.
2. Move your body
We all know that after getting some form of exercise you feel more positive and productive. Set a routine and ensure you move your body or exercise for at least 30 minutes every day – whether it be the morning, afternoon or evening. Also be sure to find something you enjoy and stick with that! Any form of exercise will do.
3. Work on your mental health
This is SO important. Often, we are focusing far too much on diet and exercise that we don’t even check up on our mental health. Just like you need to make healthy decisions everyday with regards to diet and exercise you need to do the exact same for your mental health.
Take some time in the day and check up on yourself, make some time for meditation, journaling and breathing. If your mental health is not in check it will directly affect everything else in your life. Make this a priority!
4. Fill your fridge with yummy goodness
No, this doesn’t include just kale and broccoli.
I’m talking about filling your fridge and pantry with a variety of fresh wholesome foods that will make you excited to eat your meal. Start learning some new healthy, tasty and quick recipes – there’s millions on Google. Being healthy doesn’t mean missing out on yummy food it means learning how to cook and create healthy yet tasty meals.
5. Have healthy snacks available always
Guys, full disclosure: I’m a snacker myself and if there’s no yummy fruit available or something to grab I will always feel like I need to have something sugary or salty to fill the hole.
Have fruit, nuts, natural health bars/protein bars etc. available to you to avoid grabbing the wrong things.
6. Drink water
No but really drink water. Most of the time if we haven’t drank enough it causes us to snack unnecessarily.
7. Get some good shut eye
Guys, sleep is so important. I know it seems like a basic thing but often we stay up too late working, fiddling on our phones or watching too much TV instead of trying to wind down for good quality sleep. In order to do this, you need to make sure you have a good night-time routine! 1 hour before bed, start slowing things down and preparing for at least 8 hours of sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep it will affect how you function during the day and it will affect the choices you make during the day.
8. Treat yourself
What a lot of us try to do is cut out absolutely everything we like and then hope for the best. Becoming too restrictive like this can cause us to then have a huge binge day because you’ve restricted yourself far too much. You can still have the foods you love but in moderation. Try not to get into the habit of creating a ‘cheat day’ because this mostly leads to us over doing it and feeling super sick and angry with ourselves. Have a chocolate, have a pizza etc. but then continue with your normal meals and routine thereafter.
9. Listen to your body
What is your body asking for? Sometimes your body might need you to slow down a bit and this is when you need to listen. Not every day are you going to feel like an intense workout session. Maybe sometimes your body needs something more chilled like stretches or yoga. This is a huge part of creating a balanced lifestyle because not every day will feel the same. So, tailor your day to day to what your body needs. And no this doesn’t mean giving into laziness or giving into excuses. It means changing things up when your body genuinely needs some TLC.
The bottom line
If you are trying to feel good, then let’s start by saying hell no to quick fixes! Learn that nothing worth having comes easy – you need to put in the work and make the changes. After all, nothing changes if nothing changes, am I right? If you make consistent healthy decisions every day you will quickly start to form a new routine and new normal for yourself. This new normal is the balanced lifestyle that you deserve to live. Something that will be sustainable throughout your life. Realize that there is no destination to health and fitness. It’s a journey and it’s your journey! Enjoy the ride.
Let’s keep in touch: Instagram and Facebook: @thelivelyfitnessgirl
These fresh muffins are perfect for a picnic or on-the-go snack. The high-fibre content of the apple sauce and immune-boosting properties of oranges result in a healthy and wholesome treat!
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients together.
Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
Carefully spoon batter into muffin cups using two tablespoons.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool before removing them from the pans.
Transfer muffins into a freezer bag and keep in the freezer up to two months.
This smoothie is a delicious and healthy way to cleanse your body with no refined or added sugar and no dairy. Packed with essential nutrients, beetroots are a great source of fiber, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. In our opinion, nothing ‘beets’ this healthy start to your day!
Ingredients
1 beetroot (fresh and uncooked) with stem removed, washed, quartered
1 apple cut into quarters
1/4 cup carrots tops removed, washed, loosely chopped
1/2 cup baby spinach rinsed, drained
1 Tbsp ginger peeled
1/2 cup ice cubes
Water as needed to change consistency: Add enough water to reach the surface of produce and ice
Method
Blend and enjoy!
Serve immediately; or you can store in the freezer and thaw up to one hour before drinking.
For an extra sweet touch, add sweetener of choice.
After a long and stress-filled year, most of us are looking for new ways to welcome some sunshine into our lives. While the thought of change can be a source of anxiety for many, in this week’s blog we’ll show you how to embrace times of uncertainty with confidence and meet unexpected changes in your life with a strong mindset and positive outlook.
What is an existential crisis?
Most people will experience feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress at some point in their lives, but when these emotions lead to greater feelings of despair and cause you to question your place in life or in relation to others around you, it can be a sign that you’re slipping into an existential crisis.
This feeling of unease about the purpose of your life is often related to losing your sense of safety and security when you face unexpected or extreme changes in your life.
Embracing uncertainty
At WellBe&Co, we know that being surrounded by external stressors and anxieties can make it difficult to redirect your thoughts and introduce positivity in your life. With all the stress and despair that we as a global society have faced this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important to find ways to embrace some uncertainty in your life so you can better focus on your own healing, health and well-being.
After all, the start of spring signals a time of change. That’s exactly why, in this week’s blog, we want to give you the ultimate guide to spring cleaning your mind and refreshing your approach towards unexpected periods of change in your life.
Here are out top four tactics for overcoming existential anxiety:
1. Rethink your approach
What better way to start off the new spring season than to reassess your attitude towards life? Embark on a healing journey towards improving your mental well-being by finding the motivation to change your mindset and embrace some of life’s more challenging uncertainties.
The key is to watch the thoughts that you feed your body. You can’t control everything, but you can control your language and the words you use. Approaching situations with a negative mindset and labeling challenges as “difficult” and “impossible” – or even dismissing your day as a “nightmare” or “the worst day ever” – is not going to help your situation.
Remember, the thoughts you express throughout your day will manifest into your life experience. That’s why the goal is to always acknowledge your feelings, but to work on controlling the way you react to them better.
Start by acknowledging that you have full control over the stories you tell yourself, and recognize that you are able to deal with these uncertainties with a renewed sense of optimism and confidence.
2. Set clear goals
When you set clear goals for yourself, it helps to reduce your stress about an unfamiliar future and, when done correctly, it becomes the vehicle that will drive you forward to achieve your ambitions. Finding the right motivation to accomplish your goals will give you a greater sense of purpose and certainty when it comes to your future and reduce some of those existential anxieties.
Goal setting also serves as a measurement of your progress, giving you the right fuel to continue your journey towards building your desired future. This growth mindset will make your fear of change seem a little more manageable as there will always be a clear end-goal that you can return no matter what uncertainties you encounter.
3. Meet unexpected changes with confidence!
The key to embracing uncertainty with confidence is to accept that change is natural, and that we can’t fight it or resist the forces pushing us towards a new path.
The one thing most of us are still yet to realize is that there is absolutely no progress to be made by worrying about this change. More than anything, meeting change with confidence is about assuring yourself that you can handle any difficulty that you may face.
In her book, The Positive Power of Negative Thinking, Julie K. Norem discusses the concept of defensive pessimism. The idea is that, instead of worrying about the future, you consider the worst case scenario and calmly plan how you’d handle these tricky situations. Instead of obsessing over uncertainties, you can manage your anxiety logically, knowing that you have the ability to adapt.
4. Embrace the idea of many possibilities
When experiencing an existential crisis, our minds often trick us into believing that fear and apprehension are the only natural responses to unfamiliar situations or unexpected changes in our lives. This prolonged negative state of mind can often cause us to think that a change in our expected path is a threat to our security or stability.
When we deviate from our expected future or immediate life plan, we often see this as a personal failure – but that’s far from the truth. Being open to new and unfamiliar territory can actually open unexpected doorways and opportunities for growth that you may never have even dreamed of.
The biggest mistake that most people make is letting feelings of uncertainty or unease overwhelm the potential to grow or learn something new. Embracing the idea of new possibilities that come with change will help you to become mentally bulletproof towards life changes or unexpected upheavals in the future.
Self-care with WellBe&Co
This spring, self-care is on the agenda. That’s why our team at WellBe&Co want to help you take a break from your daily anxieties and take time to put your mental and physical health first.
We know that coping with the anxiety surrounding future uncertainties can be difficult, but this spring season we want to encourage all our loyal readers to be kind to themselves and take time out of their day for self-care. After all, changing your mindset and developing a new attitude towards life starts at home.
This spring we want to motivate you to get up and get moving with our better body blueprint training guide! Dedicating time towards physical exercise and self-improvement is an essential part of snapping out of your existential crisis, staying motivated to reach new fitness goals and creating a renewed sense of purpose in your life.
We also know that it’s easy for all these external stresses to sap your emotional energy. That’s why we want to encourage our readers to take time out of their day to work on their mental healing and start their journey towards living a more mindful life.
Check out our website every week for our informative blog posts about mental health, nutrition, physical well-being and staying motivated to maintain a more optimistic outlook towards life.
If you make consistent healthy decisions every day you will quickly start to form a new routine and new normal for yourself. This new normal is the balanced lifestyle that you deserve to live. Something that will be sustainable throughout your life.
